Causes and Diagnoses

Causes and Diagnoses of Back Pain

Even with today's technology, the exact cause of back pain is often not found. In most cases, back pain may be a symptom of many different causes, including any of the following:

• Overuse, strenuous activity or improper use, such as repetitive or heavy lifting
• Trauma, injury or fractures
• Degeneration of vertebrae, caused by either stress on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine or by the effects of aging
• Infection
• Abnormal growth, such as a tumor or bone spur
• Obesity, causing increased weight on the spine and pressure on the discs
• Poor muscle tone
• Muscle tension or spasm
• Sprain or strain
• Ligament or muscle tears
• Joint problems, such as arthritis
• Smoking
• Protruding or herniated (slipped) disk and pinched nerve
• Osteoporosis and compression fractures
• Congenital (present at birth) abnormalities of the vertebrae and bones
• Abdominal problems, such as an aortic aneurysm

Diagnoses

Your physician will use a variety of tests to help diagnose your back pain, including:

• X-ray: Identifies any trauma, fractures or degeneration of the spine
• Computed tomography (CT) scan: Uses X-ray and computers to give a more detailed view of the spine
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Allows the physician to see bone as well as soft tissue
• Myelogram: An X-ray of the spinal canal itself, using a contrast solution to show pressure areas
• Electromyogram and nerve conduction studies (EMG/NCS): Measures electrical impulses to determine the extent of nerve damage
• Bone density test: Determines if you have osteoporosis
• Blood test: Can identify arthritis, in some cases